tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41998450643685575612024-03-12T20:18:56.969-07:00Misha and MiaOur journey through healthy home renovation and discovering self-sufficiency in the city.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-13424392773209307602013-12-29T15:54:00.000-08:002013-12-29T15:54:09.649-08:00The eco-friendly couch hunt - Part 2: Couch Acquired!You might remember that we are in a hunt for an eco-friendly couch. (If you missed the beginning of our journey, here is the link to <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-eco-friendly-couch-hunt.html">Part 1.</a><i>) </i>So, we decided to go with <b>Option 2</b> - Buy an antique couch and have it re-upholstered in an eco-friendly way.<br />
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I like antique/vintage couches. They have a lot of personality and are usually better made than their newer counterparts. We lucked out when this great Queen Anne style sofa and chair came up on an online auction; we picked them up for only $80. I was thrilled. I really like the sofa, especially the wood trim. The wood frame is in great shape and will not need to be refinished.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Queen Anne style sofa ready for upholstering</td></tr>
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The chair is a bit wider than what I would ideally like but given that it matches the couch, I couldn't leave it behind.<br />
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Once home, we tried out how the couch would work in our living room. I was a bit concerned that it might be too large as it is 87" long. Misha was confident that it would work and he was right. The sofa fit perfectly and looked surprisingly well in our space. We feel comfortable going ahead with the re-upholstery plan.<br />
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We still have to decide what upholstery fabric to use but we are leaning towards this light grey, organic, 10oz cotton fabric from <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/">Tonic Living</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"10 oz Organic Stone" from Tonic Living</td></tr>
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The next step is to find the right upholsterer to do the job. We have been in contact with a few already and getting ideas on the price/work involved.<br />
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We will keep you posted on our progress. In the meantime, let us know if you have had any upholstery jobs done. We would love to hear your experience.<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-17181715699134720572013-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:002013-12-14T14:35:39.933-08:00Christmas wreath - A quick and easy DIYWith so many projects on the go this winter, I didn't want to spend much time creating a complicated and time consuming holiday wreath. Normally, I would go for a more traditional look but after a bit of inspirational research, I opted for a simple and modern arrangement.<br />
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I didn't tell Misha the look I was going for as I wanted to surprise him with the wreath. I gathered everything I needed for the project. I sifted through our basement for the grape vine wreath we picked up a while back at Michael's....<br />
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... some colourful glass ornaments, a ribbon and a wire.<br />
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I cut a long piece of wire and began gathering the Christmas ornaments on the wire, one-by-one.<br />
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I mixed and matched the sizes and colours. I used up the ornaments we had left over from last year, which were predominantly red. You can go for more colours is you wish; that would look great as well.<br />
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Once I used up all the ornaments and was happy with the arrangement, I tied each end of the wire to the wreath. It took me about 15 minutes to do and the wreath was ready.<br />
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I used the red ribbon to tie the wreath to our front door.<br />
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When I showed it to Misha, the look on his face was priceless. He LOVED it! He actually said "I can't believe what a Martha Stewart you are". I think that was a bit of an exaggeration but it was still nice to see him excited.</div>
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The wreath takes on a new life in the evening when the ornaments become illuminated by the light from the lantern.<br />
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<i>Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...</i></div>
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Mia<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-8737154864934105932013-12-08T17:04:00.000-08:002013-12-08T18:44:15.720-08:00The eco-friendly couch hunt Our living room needs a serious makeover. Our existing IKEA furniture came in very handy when we moved in together. It worked well when we merged our stuff and saved us a lot of money in the beginning. However, after almost three years, it's time to revisit our living room and start making some healthier furniture choices.<br />
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Starting with the couch, we are on the hunt for an eco-friendly couch. Our existing couch is made with polyurethane foam with toxic fire retardant, which we would like to replace. This means, we are looking for a couch with no polyurethane foam/fire retardant nor any stain/wrinkle resistant finishes on the fabric. We hadn't realized how big of an undertaking this is going to be.<br />
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We started out researching couches online and learning about what they are made of. We also visited retailers and asked many questions about their products. In the end, we came up with these three options:</div>
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<li>Buy a new eco-couch from <a href="http://www.brentwoodclassics.com/">Brentwood Classics.</a> This place has an amazing show room, worth a visit if you live in/near Toronto. They use soya based poly-foam for the stuffing and they have a good selection of untreated upholstery fabrics to choose from. All sofas are made in Canada and the prices are reasonable, starting at around $1,600.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<li>Buy an antique couch and have it re-upholstered based on our specific eco needs. This would involve buying a used couch and finding an upholsterer who is willing to do the work for a reasonable price.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>Buy a futon with organic cotton batting. This is a great option other than futons are not everyone's cup of tea, especially as living room furniture.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After months of going back and forth, comparing prices, revisiting our budget, and questioning what is important to us we are narrowing down our choices. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the <i>Eco-friendly couch hunt</i> and see how we decide.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-86735505382546714632013-11-24T14:38:00.001-08:002013-11-24T14:38:21.234-08:00Roman blinds and why we went custom<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was determined to make my own Roman blinds. We needed window coverings for our kitchen and bathroom windows and I thought Roman blinds would work well. Given that the windows are odd sizes they had to be made-to-measure. I watched several online tutorials on Roman blind making and the process looked pretty straight forward. I made a plan of what I needed to buy and checked out fabric options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was a year ago. Since then, the window covering in our bathroom has consisted of this ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Living
with craft paper on our window for months made me realize that despite my best intentions,the DIY Roman
blinds were not going to happen..... so we had to look for alternatives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During
my online drapery research I came across <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/">Tonic Living</a>. It's a Toronto based
business that specializes in curtains and blinds. We visited their retail
location, checked out their blinds and picked up a few fabric samples.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7FcZZXblwVsj9WygvDxW7iHw9tAnSzo89IZMIUrI5QE1PLo4c7ys9L5jlWMuOp5vSY2TSXvZCpNnu-iQkFATjiAX__fGCrsmM4i-QFqJHNQjRp5lY4-dDAPNxwqYtr5bbK8tgNQ6Oa8/s1600/_MG_0353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7FcZZXblwVsj9WygvDxW7iHw9tAnSzo89IZMIUrI5QE1PLo4c7ys9L5jlWMuOp5vSY2TSXvZCpNnu-iQkFATjiAX__fGCrsmM4i-QFqJHNQjRp5lY4-dDAPNxwqYtr5bbK8tgNQ6Oa8/s640/_MG_0353.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric samples from Tonic Living</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonic Living has a great selection of fabrics but what we liked most is that on their web site you can read about the fabrics and what they are treated with. We were careful selecting fabrics that are not treated <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> with any stain or wrinkle resistant finishes and don't contain fire retardants, phthalate, lead and formaldehyde. We were excited to be able to access information on the treatment of the fabrics as most draperies are heavily treated with toxic chemicals with little or no information provided to customers.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
We put our order in and our custom blinds will be ready in a few weeks. I can't wait to have blinds on our windows....no more craft paper.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Stay tuned for the reveal of the winning fabric and installation tips.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mia</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-17791377080915572132013-11-20T14:58:00.001-08:002013-11-20T14:58:57.370-08:00Storm door or no storm doorI am not a big fan of storm doors. They get in the way when going in and out of the house and they tend to take away from the visual appeal of the entrance door. I always thought I would want to go with a "no storm door" option...... until we took our existing storm door off.<br />
<br />
Since we don't have a storm door, I can definitely feel the difference in the air movement inside the house. Each time Misha enters the house and leaves the door open, even if for a few seconds, a cold breeze whooshes through the house.<br />
<br />
Given that our house is small and we don't have an enclosed hallway, the cold air comes right into the living room, usually where I sit. It is not pleasant and it's not even winter yet. I realized that no storm door for our small house is not a good alternative.<br />
<br />
So there we went, storm door shopping.<br />
<br />
Our shopping experience was slightly more complicated than we originally thought. Our door is not a standard sized door as it measures 82" X 34". We had no choice but to go with a custom storm door and pay the extra cost. We ordered a full-view Andersen 3000 Series storm door from Home Depot. I like it's low profile and that the glass can be replaced with a screen in the summer.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjF1X6MjVv2p0SfRdt2LWSFquMPcDE7IYDm-LAAt4tpjMP8nVgUS3Q6c4OBgkSztI8LtDSIjuFBYwTIkB9qB-r0fzZMPrdWpJ2dvcMxHqtE3VFVrde39mT8uBfYpTnCoJWXt2LDMBliw/s1600/storm+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjF1X6MjVv2p0SfRdt2LWSFquMPcDE7IYDm-LAAt4tpjMP8nVgUS3Q6c4OBgkSztI8LtDSIjuFBYwTIkB9qB-r0fzZMPrdWpJ2dvcMxHqtE3VFVrde39mT8uBfYpTnCoJWXt2LDMBliw/s640/storm+door.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our pick - Andersen 3000 Series full-view storm door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The order is in and our door should arrive in a couple of weeks. Misha volunteered to install it. Hope it won't give us a hard time.<br />
<br />
What are your experiences with storm doors? Are you a fan?<br />
<br />
MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-276520694279655532013-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:002013-11-17T17:20:48.254-08:00Front Porch Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have been planning to do a front porch makeover since the day we moved into our house. While it was always on my mind there was no real urgency to do it, so it kept being put on hold ......till this fall. As the weather got cooler, I thought I didn't want to go through another winter with the brown, gloomy looking porch. </div>
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Our first idea was to repaint the whole porch and the siding. We received a couple of quotes for the paint job but as the amounts were not in our budget we decided to do what we could ourselves. So we got to work.</div>
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Misha removed the screen door and repainted our existing wood door with three coats of 0 VOC white outdoor latex paint. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiYKwcjZf3a_5iqXZG_jHlaLJrUoMSdh_0CRwkUdng-u8-67KtVyn_2sCAY5knchw19flGmMdE8lc2dMcfl9s9066SPgTysvDFO8lujxk12_1zYPUXEDnf-zdMnz0jGUpUlQhYAwJEgc/s1600/IMG_4728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiYKwcjZf3a_5iqXZG_jHlaLJrUoMSdh_0CRwkUdng-u8-67KtVyn_2sCAY5knchw19flGmMdE8lc2dMcfl9s9066SPgTysvDFO8lujxk12_1zYPUXEDnf-zdMnz0jGUpUlQhYAwJEgc/s640/IMG_4728.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We decided on white after a long debate between dark blue and white. White won out as we wanted to lighten up the space under the porch. While it is the more conservative colour choice, we feel it works with our house. </div>
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Then came the railing, we painted it black. That was an easy decision and the job didn't take long. We also replaced the lock, installed a door knocker, a mail slot and a new lantern. </div>
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What I enjoyed the most was creating the new house number. We picked up an unfinished wood plaque from <a href="http://www.michaels.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-MichaelsCanada-Site/default/Home-Show">Michaels</a> and Misha painted it white with a black edge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb_nXvfspZuYXjIA1gOuQZHb7JwGSToZxjcJsWu4CGQiO8CoCA0KDeVty9kwz-st0CW8RF-5ez257eVr-7JqV3fBE2PmMMoiLeJhZwlOUhSeLZY2e8zH_oO1GJ4_F4dHWKc-vtACgNJM/s1600/_MG_0274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb_nXvfspZuYXjIA1gOuQZHb7JwGSToZxjcJsWu4CGQiO8CoCA0KDeVty9kwz-st0CW8RF-5ez257eVr-7JqV3fBE2PmMMoiLeJhZwlOUhSeLZY2e8zH_oO1GJ4_F4dHWKc-vtACgNJM/s640/_MG_0274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We screwed in the black metal house numbers we got from Home Depot. Installing the plaque on the house didn't take long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2o7VW9MmOeTmaGR19RFjqnUdfQn6simYSfeQAhQdxPOBgpP4j2yuIFS1R7TAOEvgu4jaKxYDo0ytm8JxLbRLa9-z9FLPq0uNd5S9rZZq5M2bjssXDxc0sKxAeuuLMOzp-FgmI5S4gRk/s1600/_MG_0285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2o7VW9MmOeTmaGR19RFjqnUdfQn6simYSfeQAhQdxPOBgpP4j2yuIFS1R7TAOEvgu4jaKxYDo0ytm8JxLbRLa9-z9FLPq0uNd5S9rZZq5M2bjssXDxc0sKxAeuuLMOzp-FgmI5S4gRk/s640/_MG_0285.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the end, we added some flower pots and fall decorations and voila.....our affordable, front porch makeover is done. Here is the before and after.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTez5Td2TrIUzhCbsB8UYuyxU9Vjf0den_hGyEYcOFLw_VFraWAvsdEe1334j_MvauNvcyRoQZDY3Pc3YykDYC5n-s8GqpfhdzUiUloDrL1O__Na9pVB1ePfibh-wnLkaAXcgqc04-Zg/s1600/front+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTez5Td2TrIUzhCbsB8UYuyxU9Vjf0den_hGyEYcOFLw_VFraWAvsdEe1334j_MvauNvcyRoQZDY3Pc3YykDYC5n-s8GqpfhdzUiUloDrL1O__Na9pVB1ePfibh-wnLkaAXcgqc04-Zg/s640/front+before.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0HByKaeLbHJIoV-mTvYCEKqEXfv-Cqi-6oGkx9TBnsiTskTGn0W2ssRI_9Mn6zE5oVgWLdlsqipqMbY3a_9OVOT3YdfqWbyWPBvw4yWRiqktq4Tu2qmcO3zjmQat-cSM-4JOiSXek2A/s1600/porch+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0HByKaeLbHJIoV-mTvYCEKqEXfv-Cqi-6oGkx9TBnsiTskTGn0W2ssRI_9Mn6zE5oVgWLdlsqipqMbY3a_9OVOT3YdfqWbyWPBvw4yWRiqktq4Tu2qmcO3zjmQat-cSM-4JOiSXek2A/s640/porch+after.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivL5kDYhxm5aORFVwAGDb1amBZuVv72NRTag5D7L2Y7Pw5L9d72UFfG1_XeHMUjyROUtP1jnS6Zvq4SEpuE9rsWTCiCZFlmoYz8k3xFWkrhh50pNpeL7GuhteeXyqSZFlsXgyn-iYFA5Q/s1600/front3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivL5kDYhxm5aORFVwAGDb1amBZuVv72NRTag5D7L2Y7Pw5L9d72UFfG1_XeHMUjyROUtP1jnS6Zvq4SEpuE9rsWTCiCZFlmoYz8k3xFWkrhh50pNpeL7GuhteeXyqSZFlsXgyn-iYFA5Q/s640/front3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3xbFb4AFrn25j8cm4eoYProRwBnAFwNjPfqxn_2BANArmrJI70BhDPqo0gS7O55UrQC3YBiySB8lCWMqBfbLv1ytMpMz-Su9gdR-mTXQyCfhyblToq2d1ZKVxjxEM5oSuUCDDMt5YjY/s1600/_MG_0316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3xbFb4AFrn25j8cm4eoYProRwBnAFwNjPfqxn_2BANArmrJI70BhDPqo0gS7O55UrQC3YBiySB8lCWMqBfbLv1ytMpMz-Su9gdR-mTXQyCfhyblToq2d1ZKVxjxEM5oSuUCDDMt5YjY/s640/_MG_0316.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjl5JWw2uib4FsyEWZ70Y-hTegvWdHVjbL5PxQlMn0sANdnYL06Mms6GRrcveObGRSuDjtWdAKQp8axp9iGSsEx9p_mW3fUTM6Rbcor5IBM-KE7b0pe7QgZ8lZiCnpECbe9r2rK9bk58/s1600/lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjl5JWw2uib4FsyEWZ70Y-hTegvWdHVjbL5PxQlMn0sANdnYL06Mms6GRrcveObGRSuDjtWdAKQp8axp9iGSsEx9p_mW3fUTM6Rbcor5IBM-KE7b0pe7QgZ8lZiCnpECbe9r2rK9bk58/s640/lantern.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8HDn1H4A75HQVhW4prW_BBNW2dF66A2KKwmZjokQo3kG6XkvWfqhmNv0IGJ-pcYb3L7MVt6oaX7ASVFJxmtSDMgxh_yJI_pjBsiMjFPoBmfb1h7uQieFmF6g76LJwWKaJoP15U3g3EQ/s1600/yellow+flower+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8HDn1H4A75HQVhW4prW_BBNW2dF66A2KKwmZjokQo3kG6XkvWfqhmNv0IGJ-pcYb3L7MVt6oaX7ASVFJxmtSDMgxh_yJI_pjBsiMjFPoBmfb1h7uQieFmF6g76LJwWKaJoP15U3g3EQ/s640/yellow+flower+front.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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We will be repainting the porch and the siding at some point next year but at least we can feel better about our refreshed porch throughout the winter months.<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-31554954667442740862013-10-14T17:08:00.004-07:002013-10-14T17:13:40.910-07:00ThanksgivingHappy Thanksgiving to you all!<br />
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We are so thankful for our family, friends, health, our garden and to all of you who have been so supportive throughout our blogging adventure. We will enjoy our Thanksgiving feast with the bountiful harvest fresh picked today, on Thanksgiving Day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotOfa73xGtjAqibVyDVrLh7pVOMAeHTyKPWdLL-3q0yHYgQaZXgJxJ_JYElaUXaOFQL_GeUmgImlVMLmS2cKQV8z_DiHUMHlMmjdGBQ-jBTDJFuzZrLXqv8Gz-haOJtY84uf4bEuuwpY/s1600/_MG_0245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotOfa73xGtjAqibVyDVrLh7pVOMAeHTyKPWdLL-3q0yHYgQaZXgJxJ_JYElaUXaOFQL_GeUmgImlVMLmS2cKQV8z_DiHUMHlMmjdGBQ-jBTDJFuzZrLXqv8Gz-haOJtY84uf4bEuuwpY/s640/_MG_0245.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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... and here is one of my favourite prayers; the non-religious version of the Johnny Appleseed song:<br />
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<i>The Earth's been good to me,</i></div>
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<i>And so I thank the Earth,</i></div>
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<i>For giving me, the things I need,</i></div>
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<i>The sun and the rain and the apple seed,</i></div>
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<i>The Earth's been good the me.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr1hv3TcGn8gzcSY80xD1al2_1R4hooyGeGEJpzUtl3C_IZ2LagdSn6_SLsz2DKcy50rIWQi65whGzkb7jAxlgwwOyZgJZUGHmFjTLp_NeOctDOP4ZXBdxHX4bZm9vqQ4xn2XEPwBTYg/s1600/_MG_0269+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr1hv3TcGn8gzcSY80xD1al2_1R4hooyGeGEJpzUtl3C_IZ2LagdSn6_SLsz2DKcy50rIWQi65whGzkb7jAxlgwwOyZgJZUGHmFjTLp_NeOctDOP4ZXBdxHX4bZm9vqQ4xn2XEPwBTYg/s640/_MG_0269+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Misha and MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-81628866717022442432013-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:002013-10-14T13:18:42.925-07:00Lavender WandsLast year at Weir's Lavender Farm Mia made a lavender wand. She still has it and it still smells great. To refresh the fragrance she just rolls it between her palms and it smells fresh as ever.<br />
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I thought I would try my hand and patience at making lavender wands. I am more a big picture kinda person and minutiae can really paralyze and frustrate me. After a few expletives and finding my lavender zen, I not only made one but four in total. <br />
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To start, I gathered 9 lavender flower stems, bundled them so the flowers were aligned then tied a ribbon at the base of the flowers. I then bent the stems down and over the flowers. Leave one end of the ribbon hanging down with the flowers. It should hang down to the end of the stems once they are bent all the way down. You will use this later to wrap around the stem to make a handle. The other end of the ribbon should be approximately 36" to weave around the lavender. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ-W4RDSk6vdO4NiSWLujh0OnXSpEtkB_aUfySSsgEkGBbar_5BySQvv2XK8CD47DOOJ1fcD7nT3geUQUJhbU9joHpod3sySlY-jpy3Yoe6x7xw4tUgTNOSXaTjlSVCvyzIG-Y-ceIaI/s1600/368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ-W4RDSk6vdO4NiSWLujh0OnXSpEtkB_aUfySSsgEkGBbar_5BySQvv2XK8CD47DOOJ1fcD7nT3geUQUJhbU9joHpod3sySlY-jpy3Yoe6x7xw4tUgTNOSXaTjlSVCvyzIG-Y-ceIaI/s640/368.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3_9FbrtVh54HUCUpb2zesNNA_kyiRMkHdFG2Jwg0DnqdRxTE-iOjt5FU8U7HmJRCc6ppQTVXUg3YIurVA9sosbKXlv-2EoF3h89qZXvssJVnOm1-tL9qpqtiFp05BQMORZpGawjCFH0/s1600/374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3_9FbrtVh54HUCUpb2zesNNA_kyiRMkHdFG2Jwg0DnqdRxTE-iOjt5FU8U7HmJRCc6ppQTVXUg3YIurVA9sosbKXlv-2EoF3h89qZXvssJVnOm1-tL9qpqtiFp05BQMORZpGawjCFH0/s640/374.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's tricky to start the weaving but once you get 2 - 3 rows down it gets easier.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyXDs2Gt-pJgVdD2zoOccs5ZXR6qTfkqCIpYaPUenEnPyMJ4G2XJDt2Ey0PhklYm03RRHaelv-kcmaEDp16lgWZYy3NT2Xyk4wgGyZKxyHrXzsjPgUzYv2sXn_SV1je40dm9ChH4aO-o/s1600/399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyXDs2Gt-pJgVdD2zoOccs5ZXR6qTfkqCIpYaPUenEnPyMJ4G2XJDt2Ey0PhklYm03RRHaelv-kcmaEDp16lgWZYy3NT2Xyk4wgGyZKxyHrXzsjPgUzYv2sXn_SV1je40dm9ChH4aO-o/s640/399.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is my first effort. A little messy but not bad.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3w36QW59IHLbGg_76LNwWOKNyUDJKYEy3ub1Ahfkw_TFtOPPFMiJ-7amfWkdRFItIgx8GwO6KJVAhmQM1SF1fRnt8y3GnOXqMoeKr3YHpnvFfp56NDXiWjn0aRRqZn-Wm6emYajyC2c/s1600/375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3w36QW59IHLbGg_76LNwWOKNyUDJKYEy3ub1Ahfkw_TFtOPPFMiJ-7amfWkdRFItIgx8GwO6KJVAhmQM1SF1fRnt8y3GnOXqMoeKr3YHpnvFfp56NDXiWjn0aRRqZn-Wm6emYajyC2c/s640/375.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are the next three I made beside the dried lavender. Each one got better and was easier to make.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzEh2QEVwFq2d-nH49FcwMDUJCV2mNvrYRbmx9Jqwyn6q1WUZajJUCrZeKYsAHVVI3wdOYpyy5z3R8RUtWNrTwZww9QxaqdPKhqZlZcIx31uPeG7pGhpbzyQvEGPMBdVWqRoK1wGJEyk/s1600/P1130803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzEh2QEVwFq2d-nH49FcwMDUJCV2mNvrYRbmx9Jqwyn6q1WUZajJUCrZeKYsAHVVI3wdOYpyy5z3R8RUtWNrTwZww9QxaqdPKhqZlZcIx31uPeG7pGhpbzyQvEGPMBdVWqRoK1wGJEyk/s640/P1130803.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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For more detailed instructions on how to make a lavender wand check out this site: <a href="http://herbanlifestyle.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/how-to-make-lavender-wands/">http://herbanlifestyle.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/how-to-make-lavender-wands/</a> . If I can follow the instructions, anyone can.</div>
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Misha</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-82371134648790492382013-09-29T16:38:00.002-07:002013-09-29T16:38:35.150-07:00THE BATHROOM REVEAL!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Our bathroom is done! Actually, it was done a few months ago but we have been busy with life and couldn't get the pictures together and the post completed. Happy to say that we're back and blogging again. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I am almost more pleased with the new washroom than I was with our new kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I love our kitchen, but with the washroom I wasn’t expecting much of a transformation. I knew that it was a very small space and it would remain a small bathroom, no matter what we did. However, I am impressed at how much the pedestal sink and the clear glass tub door open up the space. It feels so much larger and airier. I still tend to walk by it several times a day, just to take a quick peak inside. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Enough of the talking; here are the before and after pictures. I also added a list of the green products we used.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsFWGA4IAPXL1X0Rwk1buAI-FHBJfhx0JIuMfD1y7vkf98y_V-4F7lRAnXHwN-Z6R8rNwXLd8FhZH1Yror0jkEPIcuK3PL6ay56xKBhbQ4U8UONOcmTOHu9cXCNuP9ODtz-X18CiTrHk/s1600/IMG_3317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsFWGA4IAPXL1X0Rwk1buAI-FHBJfhx0JIuMfD1y7vkf98y_V-4F7lRAnXHwN-Z6R8rNwXLd8FhZH1Yror0jkEPIcuK3PL6ay56xKBhbQ4U8UONOcmTOHu9cXCNuP9ODtz-X18CiTrHk/s640/IMG_3317.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxM8lz9dHdx6V-Azggv6p6T3PmLZ0cZha_AuxUcPZ2Le9IbnWdBtN3C4xxE-FeJTQhgxEOaEjkkVBzVqcuVv3wdf2TvLQVeEE50It_qBNLoBC7VAkP5YPEqw2aQT4zXMc1iCVRimxkjU/s1600/bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxM8lz9dHdx6V-Azggv6p6T3PmLZ0cZha_AuxUcPZ2Le9IbnWdBtN3C4xxE-FeJTQhgxEOaEjkkVBzVqcuVv3wdf2TvLQVeEE50It_qBNLoBC7VAkP5YPEqw2aQT4zXMc1iCVRimxkjU/s640/bathroom.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCabX74TgNsJ4QaHL5yx06qbPFc0Ww-bNflTEsEU20OGRftIRZflLF8s1JwFa8dLMGNd9__hNw_jdDXCzIOm1AqjPeiVNx1JInBgCMPer4DcLXQWmehz_uH8Ch6A0EZQucMaXsaXaUwKk/s1600/P1130837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCabX74TgNsJ4QaHL5yx06qbPFc0Ww-bNflTEsEU20OGRftIRZflLF8s1JwFa8dLMGNd9__hNw_jdDXCzIOm1AqjPeiVNx1JInBgCMPer4DcLXQWmehz_uH8Ch6A0EZQucMaXsaXaUwKk/s640/P1130837.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UplYrD-QFZCk-qsN9JaPeaM8pTprx9OV1ogm6xWT6diB3auTVr4p1t702vGpMlIyMDCW2AOup7k_LfYv5pZVKqOIiG3RIdimFZzkxKHxf3dVm2gv8gyWpFNHFMZf6n5zGlb507BOBJk/s1600/IMG_3698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UplYrD-QFZCk-qsN9JaPeaM8pTprx9OV1ogm6xWT6diB3auTVr4p1t702vGpMlIyMDCW2AOup7k_LfYv5pZVKqOIiG3RIdimFZzkxKHxf3dVm2gv8gyWpFNHFMZf6n5zGlb507BOBJk/s640/IMG_3698.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kHIlt5j8Q0dBVqXphLw3sWrihxZ0PntW1X7LTtNyrUi_ymoprI3HkRUawT9nqUM8g44Q6Wr6arlJyoamXZNSxLqI_WHjhgBcwhvayyzR-CUgaU6O_3_ev3quBJBtX6h7LwR1_N-WAhA/s1600/toilet+p+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kHIlt5j8Q0dBVqXphLw3sWrihxZ0PntW1X7LTtNyrUi_ymoprI3HkRUawT9nqUM8g44Q6Wr6arlJyoamXZNSxLqI_WHjhgBcwhvayyzR-CUgaU6O_3_ev3quBJBtX6h7LwR1_N-WAhA/s640/toilet+p+pic.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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Some of the features highlighted:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTYDJBKW-VmoqTZ3iJdXTsUWZe6wxWsJFei0akhonjp0pHZ8GPiA5ZYXmLv_9pIdLUT_p8iUhO_bVK_ZagOYiv5E8MDuLJJXCK02DgL8TdwoO9PhYcN80RGR4cOwysDwhbIRhuPOqYuY/s1600/P1130849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTYDJBKW-VmoqTZ3iJdXTsUWZe6wxWsJFei0akhonjp0pHZ8GPiA5ZYXmLv_9pIdLUT_p8iUhO_bVK_ZagOYiv5E8MDuLJJXCK02DgL8TdwoO9PhYcN80RGR4cOwysDwhbIRhuPOqYuY/s640/P1130849.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recessed shower niche was a lot of work for our tiler but we love it. The insert was purchased online from Home Depot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GGFZc9IS8s1R20PTJlRVOHMAMDL4PRC8zeuTR-ifmtM-AtAbxZerOQo3WOXKZ2HpiggEcqxHxLINVEjEQYI220T8pGN1Tygg1uYVrQSIxBem9OJzWSd7BB-kmuJqRvKosnvxfooJFw/s1600/P1130851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GGFZc9IS8s1R20PTJlRVOHMAMDL4PRC8zeuTR-ifmtM-AtAbxZerOQo3WOXKZ2HpiggEcqxHxLINVEjEQYI220T8pGN1Tygg1uYVrQSIxBem9OJzWSd7BB-kmuJqRvKosnvxfooJFw/s640/P1130851.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The all around chair rail and bullnose borders add some interest to the finish.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sink and faucet purchased from Home Depot. This smaller sized pedestal sink works great for our space.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybcc73T9iKZfpOUxhOIKCrl_AYteDa2YI-_eLcld4T53rnMMx5JwHaSka9Jf1Ij1bBZzYQjl-E1QNTPTNefKHOEILsIY1yS6-rQNTdBxe8fKaZyHPbFRQNJgnd0ZcA-r3jyxPvm-fnWs/s1600/438+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybcc73T9iKZfpOUxhOIKCrl_AYteDa2YI-_eLcld4T53rnMMx5JwHaSka9Jf1Ij1bBZzYQjl-E1QNTPTNefKHOEILsIY1yS6-rQNTdBxe8fKaZyHPbFRQNJgnd0ZcA-r3jyxPvm-fnWs/s640/438+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elongated water saver toilet and inset metal toilet roll holder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ItkpNeenbyZTQkhlKsYx_IjG52ZfeSTpxtivBs68fjdm2Fa9pZL-_9jAe5Qzv-t6koI2Ke4608innOWT7X_f0bvXMeTn-97i-v9zUN3CIZLJ4OyTcY8vpQgrLSx4rOG120OvfUswx3c/s1600/medicine+cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ItkpNeenbyZTQkhlKsYx_IjG52ZfeSTpxtivBs68fjdm2Fa9pZL-_9jAe5Qzv-t6koI2Ke4608innOWT7X_f0bvXMeTn-97i-v9zUN3CIZLJ4OyTcY8vpQgrLSx4rOG120OvfUswx3c/s640/medicine+cabinets.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two mirrored, inset medicine cabinets from Home Depot. Great space savers that balance out and enlarge the bathroom visually.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2BZJXFJ0SYqRx0ws4m2ccT5zE9sSUhcKH_b0yS_P40YJi0Dm243s2cDRfzkuzUT6EhkL6lOadTOX-M125ruuqdSEpFmbq1OJN7WZU8AqwdBnDNNID0CdPX-_1X0x5kjX22u_ZEsMgLE/s1600/P1130755+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2BZJXFJ0SYqRx0ws4m2ccT5zE9sSUhcKH_b0yS_P40YJi0Dm243s2cDRfzkuzUT6EhkL6lOadTOX-M125ruuqdSEpFmbq1OJN7WZU8AqwdBnDNNID0CdPX-_1X0x5kjX22u_ZEsMgLE/s640/P1130755+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom made wooden vent cover held on with magnets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, Martha Stewart Seal Harbor lights from Home Depot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUpZdj_STjFoYBaCXrRFHxuiWhHaI2pjkwRbrfr-kACqcPMgA-Q7wn5BZVnvTy_QDPEwcfV1hFyWtZQsIH7ant4Oqtgae0LoArDVlgOpvTyiH8GSYvfyIxmGurYUeEtWmbD1mje_1lRc/s1600/454+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUpZdj_STjFoYBaCXrRFHxuiWhHaI2pjkwRbrfr-kACqcPMgA-Q7wn5BZVnvTy_QDPEwcfV1hFyWtZQsIH7ant4Oqtgae0LoArDVlgOpvTyiH8GSYvfyIxmGurYUeEtWmbD1mje_1lRc/s640/454+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 x 6 tile and pencil tile to create a faux baseboard. We went with a traditional black door stopper for a country look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqeXuxH0T5sMp8u4tyrkkSMYQC2sAq017bg-uzmKaX0HhpCATCReRKUdDdADKw4gecgebPv_A-NICwxfmcTcZfyPLCvL8kUAMl7J6W3F9GmyWC9Wi8vTlgZ_-VqSm72qtz9xm-KrKpLU/s1600/P1130775+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqeXuxH0T5sMp8u4tyrkkSMYQC2sAq017bg-uzmKaX0HhpCATCReRKUdDdADKw4gecgebPv_A-NICwxfmcTcZfyPLCvL8kUAMl7J6W3F9GmyWC9Wi8vTlgZ_-VqSm72qtz9xm-KrKpLU/s640/P1130775+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birch White semigloss paint on the door and on the new casing. The black Weiser Troy door knobs and barn hooks installed by Mia.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The green products we used:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Toilet</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> - American Standard, Saver Elongated, low-flow toilet. Uses only 4.8L/flush. You might remember <u><a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2013/03/how-green-is-our-toilet.html">our last toilet</a></u> that used 8 L/flush.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Bathtub</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – American Standard, Steel Enamelled tub – Purchased at Lowes. Love the tub! Read about our decision <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2013/03/bathtub-dilemma-ping-pong-table-or.html">HERE</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Glass Tub Door</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – We purchased this great tub door on sale at Home Depot. We love how it finishes off the look and is more environmentally friendly than plastic shower curtains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">0 VOC Paint</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – Purchased at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><u>Homestead</u></st1:place></st1:city><u> House</u>. This is our favourite paint and we used it in the rest of our house. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Porcelain tiles</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – Purchased at Home Depot and <u>The Tile Store</u>. Read about it here <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2013/03/bathroom-floor-tile-dark-grey-or-light.html">HERE</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Cement board</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – Used it for all the bathroom walls. Read about our decision here <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2013/03/cement-board-or-drywall-searching-for.html">HERE</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Dry Wall Joint Compound</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> - MURCO M 100 – A non-toxic alternative to regular dry-wall compound. Used it to finish off the cement board. Purchased at the EcoResource.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">....and off to the next project, rebuilding the deck.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mia</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-18295695852769960352013-07-29T17:14:00.000-07:002013-10-14T13:02:41.953-07:00Lavender HarvestWe are really pleased with our "lavender farm". The Hidcote lavender we purchased from Weir's Lane Lavender Farm seem to love the location and the soil amendments we did when we planted them. See our earlier blog for planting description. We hoped to create a low lavender hedge. We really like how they work with the roses that are blossoming on our homemade trellises. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lavender farm</td></tr>
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They are beautiful even though they are not yet in full bloom. We decided to harvest the lavender, nevertheless, as it was just at the right stage to harvest for drying. We plan to make dried bouquets and it is best to harvest them just before the flowers open into full bloom. To harvest cut the stem as close to the base as possible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAX7ICReTxuNE56TwPXyGTnXJi2Yytw8b1fO_ftEBsUahYGIiLwXtOzVY65bsgSU0Ure_QFOfFgdyA33C7sN0kq7AhLs8MjblPhfG2I0Ju5FChoELSnOfREQ2TF5A736tkU1VqPadxHs/s1600/P1130608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAX7ICReTxuNE56TwPXyGTnXJi2Yytw8b1fO_ftEBsUahYGIiLwXtOzVY65bsgSU0Ure_QFOfFgdyA33C7sN0kq7AhLs8MjblPhfG2I0Ju5FChoELSnOfREQ2TF5A736tkU1VqPadxHs/s640/P1130608.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's a pleasure to harvest; it looks beautiful and smells wonderful!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGC82HPfMkyW8k9Zy28ft0Q4sJiZhoMv2EBihq7q574Cu67DJ8DDIqo_K4gVC9T2u928TVzoozQQEH0yDg7VxIGD-Dq1psKa01ovLiwZZQMYlCPeBfP8iL9wVxirFLnvlmRdOY9rHDEI/s1600/P1130628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGC82HPfMkyW8k9Zy28ft0Q4sJiZhoMv2EBihq7q574Cu67DJ8DDIqo_K4gVC9T2u928TVzoozQQEH0yDg7VxIGD-Dq1psKa01ovLiwZZQMYlCPeBfP8iL9wVxirFLnvlmRdOY9rHDEI/s640/P1130628.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Next we stripped the leaves off of the stems. We kept the leaves to use in potpourri and sachets.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misha stripping the leaves from the stems</td></tr>
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We sorted the lavender into 3 categories: Grade A for dried bouquets and lavender wands, short flower stems for sachets and leaves and broken stems for fresh pot potpourri. Kevin from Weir's Lane Lavender, told us that the leaves and stems don't have much fragrance when dried.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorted lavender</td></tr>
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The cats helped by guarding the lavender.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppy watching over the bundled lavender</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon on guard</td></tr>
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We needed a warm dry place out of the sun to dry the lavender and our stair railing seemed perfect for the job. I have to admit that after a week the fragrance of lavender was a bit overwhelming. It's dry now and out in the mud room waiting to be packaged for dried bouquets we will give as gifts.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender drying on stair rail</td></tr>
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We look forward to an even bigger harvest next year now that the lavender is well established. If you have a sunny dry spot in your garden, think about lavender as an option. It's beautiful, fragrant and useful in many ways.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely lavender!</td></tr>
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MishaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-822451362288041462013-07-04T16:27:00.001-07:002013-07-04T16:32:22.281-07:00Drying Homegrown "Oregano"- Really!One of the greatest challenges of a veggie garden is to harvest and store the maximum amount of produce with minimal loss. Often, the yield is more than you can eat fresh so if you can find a way to store your crop you can enjoy it all year long.<br />
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Herbs are a great crop to preserve. Drying is the easiest, low energy method, although you can freeze some herbs. We have a prolific oregano plant that is producing more than we can use right now. <br />
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I cut the oregano fairly close to the ground; don't worry it will re-grow.<br />
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I then bundled up the cut stems, tied a string around them then hung them in the mud room. It is best to dry herbs in a cool, dry place and out of direct sunlight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8cr7C1MN7tM1bAsjZF4Ec5-AWp_F5WDvEhOz3J3gWEzueFBEan8tclyeQwpjwcHRdx3YgBfQExdqudaypymi7569pepAU90CycReOms-sKpXqlSKAlrc0ImIHZOF1x1MKeIC78KVazA/s1600/491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8cr7C1MN7tM1bAsjZF4Ec5-AWp_F5WDvEhOz3J3gWEzueFBEan8tclyeQwpjwcHRdx3YgBfQExdqudaypymi7569pepAU90CycReOms-sKpXqlSKAlrc0ImIHZOF1x1MKeIC78KVazA/s640/491.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When the oregano dried, I stripped the leaves off and packed them into an airtight container.<br />
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Store in your kitchen out of direct sunlight and away from curious cats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPyXuqjGbojpLkdAxzlwHOh9KJb3oNC5ILBg0lo1bLMhUe6kMtF7wx-akFF9vmuO2svaqSY8KdNp7ir-JQQvDpz_A5zozvpDLWsNNqwwMOTQzRpMGGYw_CRackl2QvwdTb_bb12rAM0U/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPyXuqjGbojpLkdAxzlwHOh9KJb3oNC5ILBg0lo1bLMhUe6kMtF7wx-akFF9vmuO2svaqSY8KdNp7ir-JQQvDpz_A5zozvpDLWsNNqwwMOTQzRpMGGYw_CRackl2QvwdTb_bb12rAM0U/s640/001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Enjoy your dried "homegrown" oregano in your cooking all year round.</div>
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Misha</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-27984399427650774962013-07-02T18:20:00.005-07:002013-12-07T18:40:41.558-08:00Garlic Snakes For Dinner?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's time to give the garlic a hair cut! Every year around this time the garlic, which we planted in the fall, sends up a seed head called a scape. If you want nice big garlic bulbs then you need to cut the scapes off so the plant puts energy into the bulbs and not into producing seeds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzmgwUVxaqYrQZ3-IUKk47RejKRJ5PqpKIfoGFHbTKe05ZHGE0YAOkm5ZhUeTJBrKGmLGZjruUoVHxjBTvVoDMSfS84y7APDudTiIqT8bfXo-EODYbNeftGGIN51Q_r9o82sXSVj9-wA/s640/garlic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzmgwUVxaqYrQZ3-IUKk47RejKRJ5PqpKIfoGFHbTKe05ZHGE0YAOkm5ZhUeTJBrKGmLGZjruUoVHxjBTvVoDMSfS84y7APDudTiIqT8bfXo-EODYbNeftGGIN51Q_r9o82sXSVj9-wA/s640/garlic3.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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Looks like I have a handful of grass snakes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_lFhyphenhyphenSpbJOgRTGwGKUAriQfWAVZ-L3kKuCds6sQtiQyWYWlFmJUSJ25f1s3KVdiXxWkOpqsyfi7haX4wUD59W_37YHwv09IpNgY4hmgL3WVRZTO35q7dGpYDYYS_a6uEP8MRi2odDio/s640/garlic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_lFhyphenhyphenSpbJOgRTGwGKUAriQfWAVZ-L3kKuCds6sQtiQyWYWlFmJUSJ25f1s3KVdiXxWkOpqsyfi7haX4wUD59W_37YHwv09IpNgY4hmgL3WVRZTO35q7dGpYDYYS_a6uEP8MRi2odDio/s640/garlic+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's the garlic with its new hair style - no curls!</div>
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You can use the garlic scapes in cooking. Just chop them up like you would a scallion and stir fry or use in soups for a fresh garlicky flavour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-GFzJlOH7yNxQucWLQms-IBh0DWnf32lkahMTIDxZXaPQmIJFX3iZkf5Gv2VXty5RONUJUkzI2LxCwSSG1hBRKmflCpPAURNuhK_zWlE2v8WqpuRJHaI0hVVt3hhAtOvDiE_eZS7x9o/s1600/487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-GFzJlOH7yNxQucWLQms-IBh0DWnf32lkahMTIDxZXaPQmIJFX3iZkf5Gv2VXty5RONUJUkzI2LxCwSSG1hBRKmflCpPAURNuhK_zWlE2v8WqpuRJHaI0hVVt3hhAtOvDiE_eZS7x9o/s640/487.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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They will be great sauteed with these shitake shrooms. YUM!<br />
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MishaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-47332516787739589272013-06-29T16:13:00.000-07:002013-06-29T16:13:22.647-07:00Strawberry picking in our front yard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do you remember our <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2012/06/our-native-woodland-garden.html">native front yard garden?</a> I have to share with you one of the great benefits of having a no-lawn front yard. Here it is; delicious, wild, organic strawberries that we picked today.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a4whyJ7GyBuTb1RRlCgeCriNb_dAwLSHpvDL8VwWcEHpl6ilWK07TIQcPyxeWk1UYkvNFDXVLN7xksoHKywO5to7JSvkH3R49S8i03y53rTRLXm2oToUZ3en0iaDZS6sB1rUx4S7ceE/s640/straw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a4whyJ7GyBuTb1RRlCgeCriNb_dAwLSHpvDL8VwWcEHpl6ilWK07TIQcPyxeWk1UYkvNFDXVLN7xksoHKywO5to7JSvkH3R49S8i03y53rTRLXm2oToUZ3en0iaDZS6sB1rUx4S7ceE/s640/straw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we took up the lawn on our front yard, we had a small sunny area where we were debating what to plant. I envisioned some wild flowers, but Misha kept insisting on covering the whole area with Ontario native wild strawberries. I must admit I gave him a hard time about the 'strawberry patch' as I thought they were too low for the area and took up one of the most lucrative spots in our yard. At that time, little did I think of the great benefits of them actually producing delicious berries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gCssein4z-T3MYwbOU5EbdJILv1VqtT5PV6CS1S8P4QBDYmFDj7P5tOYiyafDeSWYmBFJV3QkMU06eJqXZ1zo48_IMGAvpGbN_2DSQOuaRT5OPYU0FyMYfNw4i8PZ2Gp8xykOf8Xg-w/s640/strawberry+field2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gCssein4z-T3MYwbOU5EbdJILv1VqtT5PV6CS1S8P4QBDYmFDj7P5tOYiyafDeSWYmBFJV3QkMU06eJqXZ1zo48_IMGAvpGbN_2DSQOuaRT5OPYU0FyMYfNw4i8PZ2Gp8xykOf8Xg-w/s640/strawberry+field2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the end, the wild strawberries worked out well as a ground cover. They are very low maintenance, spread fast and survive well under our Norway Maple.<br />
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Today was the harvest day and we filled our bowl with tiny, red berries. They take a while to harvest as they are small and hide in bunches under the leaves. However, it was rewarding to harvest food from our front lawn where two years ago we only had grass growing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW22yLD4EWN000zz6v1ypKPoQumJGkQ9VHwIn_UENWRa-o-33F8-oCYN_nNhdZaK32vOF4-iTyxdM23p8iFUJaMPlBSS8E-ojMJsoJ1lKKD2wm9zlUahIbve2XL_qXGCmvzNsujew_SEQ/s640/strawberry+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW22yLD4EWN000zz6v1ypKPoQumJGkQ9VHwIn_UENWRa-o-33F8-oCYN_nNhdZaK32vOF4-iTyxdM23p8iFUJaMPlBSS8E-ojMJsoJ1lKKD2wm9zlUahIbve2XL_qXGCmvzNsujew_SEQ/s640/strawberry+me.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The berries are delicious, sweet and sour, just like the cultivated varieties, but better.<br />
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We are debating what delicious culinary recipe to use them for. Might freeze them until we make up our mind.<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-70228619637981929162013-06-23T16:01:00.000-07:002013-06-26T08:19:00.013-07:00Yellow twill summer dress - The perfect beginner's sewing projectAfter a long sewing break I was aching for a summer dress project. I can't resist yellow in the summer, so I picked up 2 and a half metres of this bright yellow cotton twill fabric at Queen's Street West. I love the colour; just buying it made me happy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU9D5Uc0cwuUiZJXErEgKglIDPg50luG7_n1NRpeiEzIL6nT5XH30LV_Geq2jCaQfxGtONCQ5LNSez3bP4WZ5bK7lp6BBZKbHxfcYKq6s8shqyeC_UIU7uohyLmVniHxHn16S6K6Z_kc/s1600/yellow+twill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU9D5Uc0cwuUiZJXErEgKglIDPg50luG7_n1NRpeiEzIL6nT5XH30LV_Geq2jCaQfxGtONCQ5LNSez3bP4WZ5bK7lp6BBZKbHxfcYKq6s8shqyeC_UIU7uohyLmVniHxHn16S6K6Z_kc/s640/yellow+twill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton twill</td></tr>
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As soon as I got home, I washed it. In addition to pre-shrinking the fabric, I like to get rid of any paint residue that might be in it. I use a full hot washing cycle with laundry detergent. The disadvantage of pre-washing the fabric is that you need to iron it once it dries.<br />
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I was looking for a very easy summer dress project so I picked out the Burda pattern <a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/satin-dress-042013" target="_blank">Satin Dress 04/2013 #108</a>. I liked this pattern; no zipper, no button holes, perfect for a beginner like me.<br />
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I bought the pattern online and printed it out. The process was quite simple, although Misha got a bit impatient with my 20+ page printing job as he was about to pack up his laptop and leave for work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLttu8GjCznbOKOUQF9Ora5CbbBJ9-1swDNGIIu0MrulByBt0z8DcwDeCR4qxClnnW8gMWsAq3ae2KvofwewrirqEcwO1iQ_bgS_fmfYl_YHH-3Qnv6aBB0kadu3H9alYRQBcZ-bI-m80/s1600/yellow+dress+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLttu8GjCznbOKOUQF9Ora5CbbBJ9-1swDNGIIu0MrulByBt0z8DcwDeCR4qxClnnW8gMWsAq3ae2KvofwewrirqEcwO1iQ_bgS_fmfYl_YHH-3Qnv6aBB0kadu3H9alYRQBcZ-bI-m80/s640/yellow+dress+pattern.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once I assembled the pattern and taped it together, it all started to make sense.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ6s9gqUxAotmFhCawFPACPQlvKzgx8Bten_ZkIzYBaACtWQjx8MvPdUaGLRhqOxvnLkh52b8dVGSBAON4CpKGPmCKmn4CqtlHVA3XyoBi_jKqu-nzfIZa_oMNf3BIzl7_HahzJhGcPk/s1600/yellow+dress+pattern+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ6s9gqUxAotmFhCawFPACPQlvKzgx8Bten_ZkIzYBaACtWQjx8MvPdUaGLRhqOxvnLkh52b8dVGSBAON4CpKGPmCKmn4CqtlHVA3XyoBi_jKqu-nzfIZa_oMNf3BIzl7_HahzJhGcPk/s640/yellow+dress+pattern+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda pattern coming together</td></tr>
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Reading the pattern, cutting out the fabric and sewing it together was straightforward. Given that the twill is dense, I didn't need to add an underlining. I used the iron intermittently, whenever a pleat needed to be pressed. It made the sewing part much easier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv9Z4q8aYKzSVYcYA58pcXB5SK5qJ-oU8jIheijMveImxBm2e4yzdLuLXsVzEL8q_l8CPE8bq4T5dEdq-8QZXI-yeB0Dbl05CgQDzk8Rpdz_kTd7ul5TW8KhHwaIZZR6uiqmKwZsUOYY/s1600/yellow+dress+ironing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv9Z4q8aYKzSVYcYA58pcXB5SK5qJ-oU8jIheijMveImxBm2e4yzdLuLXsVzEL8q_l8CPE8bq4T5dEdq-8QZXI-yeB0Dbl05CgQDzk8Rpdz_kTd7ul5TW8KhHwaIZZR6uiqmKwZsUOYY/s640/yellow+dress+ironing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once I finished the dress I added a cotton lace trim at the bottom...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjfaGJgXe9_82pn5u9gtuMqSKVvLIX4twbFX8OQQEdIgOZXexMAI0xtDxDspMyL5A2VYlqynmZQ24crW2cPHSRChD4F-u_PS7FO3FCYxkFFh9u_TL0SbYqPeEVjhjA_tpECZzRpK0VLw/s1600/lace+bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjfaGJgXe9_82pn5u9gtuMqSKVvLIX4twbFX8OQQEdIgOZXexMAI0xtDxDspMyL5A2VYlqynmZQ24crW2cPHSRChD4F-u_PS7FO3FCYxkFFh9u_TL0SbYqPeEVjhjA_tpECZzRpK0VLw/s640/lace+bottom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and a small lace bow on the front; just to create some interest. Misha approved of it; he somehow became a self-appointed style consultant in the process.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMyblmifQVnhrAHsVIYditWz60RP_ZvZjGxkKpCne4e4t8fBxxZFyBjFzOb1noG87zOgzyACrj29ku9H_Ctuyi0IWHbH7buTmjLG4aGk2Y0AVu4AShQchmcBoADpW7S1Sw5kqr68DTCQ/s1600/lace+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMyblmifQVnhrAHsVIYditWz60RP_ZvZjGxkKpCne4e4t8fBxxZFyBjFzOb1noG87zOgzyACrj29ku9H_Ctuyi0IWHbH7buTmjLG4aGk2Y0AVu4AShQchmcBoADpW7S1Sw5kqr68DTCQ/s640/lace+top.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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And here is my yellow twill summer dress. The colour actually looks even brighter in real life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96iX95ESqYQFeWuWs5GkIri-xTB8I_rJb66tsinzfRbAY6S0mPXmGLX0gB9o3zup5bpWJN_jR-xsI6fDCVRDmjV3I0ePJYPKBgDYKhWbfQW9jd2VF2my2-SWoecNBq9ulIWCmckspJZk/s1600/yellow+dress+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96iX95ESqYQFeWuWs5GkIri-xTB8I_rJb66tsinzfRbAY6S0mPXmGLX0gB9o3zup5bpWJN_jR-xsI6fDCVRDmjV3I0ePJYPKBgDYKhWbfQW9jd2VF2my2-SWoecNBq9ulIWCmckspJZk/s640/yellow+dress+final.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda pattern 4/2013 #108</td></tr>
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I get a lot of "you look like a sunshine" comments when I wear this dress. I take them as compliments. I like to spread sunshine around.<br />
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Mia<br />
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P.S. If you are new to sewing this is the perfect pattern to get started with. I am planning to use this pattern again for a printed cotton dress. It will be fun to see how different the dress will look just buy using a different fabric.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-1557251775776221772013-06-12T16:37:00.000-07:002013-06-12T17:04:40.225-07:00June Veggie Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our garden has really benefited from all the rain this spring and is really responding to the recent sunshine and higher temperatures. Overall, it looks like it will be a great veggie garden season.</div>
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Our kitchen garden is rockin' with radish, onions, lettuce, collards (seeded in early April) and kohlrabi, baby pak choi, scarlet runner beans (transplanted from indoors in early May). The transplants we started indoors needed to go in after the last frost and I find that big healthy transplants resist or avoid pest attacks that seeds sown directly into the garden are susceptible to. We planted some garlic, marigolds and lovage along the front of the garden to help deter pests. We are already eating the lettuce, radish and onions and have started on the pak choi. One row of lettuce we consumed has been replaced with some curly kale seeds that should be poking their heads up soon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_-w2cBSsbEdiBwvNdBFLrgTlTsScINKPRhmdyxtDa7CxpsxA35M48MMjvbugSD0v0knLpbNDam81mB83uUDnRhWecVxL6wxa2Te0LQp5g5YTsZd55Yz9ZmH4mi44_wpvL4_ycqf1y_c/s1600/P1130484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_-w2cBSsbEdiBwvNdBFLrgTlTsScINKPRhmdyxtDa7CxpsxA35M48MMjvbugSD0v0knLpbNDam81mB83uUDnRhWecVxL6wxa2Te0LQp5g5YTsZd55Yz9ZmH4mi44_wpvL4_ycqf1y_c/s640/P1130484.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen Garden June 9, 2013</td></tr>
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Our back garden is also doing well with garlic (bulbs planted in the fall), peas, onions, lettuce, kale, rapini, kohlrabi, radish, beets, leeks, carrots, parsnips (seeded early April), broccoli, beans (transplanted from indoors early May), squashes, zucchini, cucumbers (transplanted from indoors mid-May). Marigolds, parsley, lovage and basil planted along the front of the garden to repel pests.<br />
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We tried square foot planting in a couple of rows in the center of the garden that seem to be working well. We used this method for crops we don't use a lot of. Another benefit is that it reduces pest infestation by avoiding one crop in an area.<br />
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The only pest issue so far has been with something eating the leaves of the carrots down to the stem. It required reseeding of most of the crop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw1F_YLR3eUepXxmor7NOoSeTea4npCG70ouMDidHFOHGAfG_j5dW24MiIZstCMVYo4_8DRLrxpaQs-_qHJ_NSzlWkjnOVkUXFHqzvQ5AHN7VJKW5TG5vB9uyCknI3YUfhjD1-7mNdao/s1600/P1130486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw1F_YLR3eUepXxmor7NOoSeTea4npCG70ouMDidHFOHGAfG_j5dW24MiIZstCMVYo4_8DRLrxpaQs-_qHJ_NSzlWkjnOVkUXFHqzvQ5AHN7VJKW5TG5vB9uyCknI3YUfhjD1-7mNdao/s640/P1130486.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Garden June 9, 2013</td></tr>
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Tip #1 Here's a trick to maximize production in a row. I seeded the spinach in early April then planted bean seedlings beside them in early May. By the time the beans are bushing out the spinach will be harvested and we will have had two crops from the one row by July (just in time to plant some more spinach or lettuce for a third crop).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtFFAMpZrgt8OHd0fZ5-VR4CAFBdVT_Nm4AYbhyphenhyphenhkRTNPKEMhaR7f_KUx3EioUIatkZCI4141geKW4B14qlkVxZmIFEwC-6TnF8tNgZ2XlU0Cw9cke9idZcSG8M6z029DcA_nvvESz3Q/s1600/P1130494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtFFAMpZrgt8OHd0fZ5-VR4CAFBdVT_Nm4AYbhyphenhyphenhkRTNPKEMhaR7f_KUx3EioUIatkZCI4141geKW4B14qlkVxZmIFEwC-6TnF8tNgZ2XlU0Cw9cke9idZcSG8M6z029DcA_nvvESz3Q/s640/P1130494.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip #1</td></tr>
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Tip #2 You can avoid cut worms from felling your tomato seedlings by wrapping some newspaper around the stem when planting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfI59dfhKtoWLfkgSP-iwfkiCt1Tn6vWbSiUvuNX30qDfCRSEbdTnVbcF4LGvKCRD-CnGGSBnkHdUWj_ErF7damFjvywWFN27hV2WfJRIOzvfCZjk1EV0xuemjg-KaCaq8pg86zSyQ24/s1600/P1130503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfI59dfhKtoWLfkgSP-iwfkiCt1Tn6vWbSiUvuNX30qDfCRSEbdTnVbcF4LGvKCRD-CnGGSBnkHdUWj_ErF7damFjvywWFN27hV2WfJRIOzvfCZjk1EV0xuemjg-KaCaq8pg86zSyQ24/s640/P1130503.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip #2</td></tr>
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Tip #3 Hoeing the garden regularly helps disrupt the life cycle of a number of pests.<br />
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It's not too late to plant transplants or seeds if you have not started yet. Happy gardening!<br />
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MishaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-17415195096891709702013-06-10T15:12:00.003-07:002013-06-12T17:05:45.143-07:00Privacy screen in our backyard – The cedar battle<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">A relationship is made up of compromises; we all know that. However, a different vision for the garden can lead to some quite heated discussions; at least in our household.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You might remember that when we bought our house the first thing we did was to plant <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2012/05/cedar-screen.html" target="_blank">these cedar trees</a>. I hoped that they would provide much needed privacy in our backyard. Misha wasn’t that keen on the idea so he only agreed to get a few of them. This took the cedar line less than half way along the fence. Here they are.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiLTl4zEwUxjd2pq4rM57dVLVD5DRLDyhDoRSjz_nEP2-275c-olq2SQKuTlC7j_9K29DdxEZHkZ-0RN9oYY0nWxmF7AY27VEpAdibgmZLGSkHJ0mxECeFPLn36USdzdQJQqXbDnzKaM/s1600/cedar+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiLTl4zEwUxjd2pq4rM57dVLVD5DRLDyhDoRSjz_nEP2-275c-olq2SQKuTlC7j_9K29DdxEZHkZ-0RN9oYY0nWxmF7AY27VEpAdibgmZLGSkHJ0mxECeFPLn36USdzdQJQqXbDnzKaM/s640/cedar+before.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After two years, it has become obvious that having cedars half way along the fence doesn’t solve our privacy issue. Also, the fence line looked unfinished and it still exposed the neighbour’s unsightly pigeon coop. So, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I proposed to Misha my idea: let's buy more cedars and plant them all the way along the fence. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">He didn’t like my idea at all. His vision included flowers along the fence that he had already planted. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">After two months of discussing, arguing, reasoning and negotiating, Misha finally agreed, with a heavy heart, to plant more cedars. We went to Home Depot to pick out the tallest cedars we could find.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLJ-P9DUNz1g26d0NxWXw3mltbMtOtCthBCFK95WktVZ9znYIfaq4J2FZr9Z3Qnar5cUis7_fwvMlXZ8WapCvMHRZQSqoNfv9_Poh31_aOlko-vs6b04CCVk8YftR7UJH-EsVAjoMIOQ/s1600/cedar+shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLJ-P9DUNz1g26d0NxWXw3mltbMtOtCthBCFK95WktVZ9znYIfaq4J2FZr9Z3Qnar5cUis7_fwvMlXZ8WapCvMHRZQSqoNfv9_Poh31_aOlko-vs6b04CCVk8YftR7UJH-EsVAjoMIOQ/s640/cedar+shopping.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald cedars at Home Depot</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">It took us several trips to get them home as we could only fit four into our car at one time. Misha never gave up fighting for his vision; after each trip he would say "Don't you think that's enough?", but I persevered. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We planted lilies, poppies, irises, and wild flowers in front of the cedars to tone down their formal look. Here is the before...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">...and after.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LeCxDm5eWyhwj5xiFipI7jgsTi7X942mPAJavUqGasdNcwYnd1LReqpducLeJpdBhW7x1vqIEvXytSevU28S5TtFvQN_QGokcwK04HfoQqmevF95C-4QiJ198Yjpr2DiqgqPVNIVxO0/s1600/cedars+aft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LeCxDm5eWyhwj5xiFipI7jgsTi7X942mPAJavUqGasdNcwYnd1LReqpducLeJpdBhW7x1vqIEvXytSevU28S5TtFvQN_QGokcwK04HfoQqmevF95C-4QiJ198Yjpr2DiqgqPVNIVxO0/s640/cedars+aft.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I love these cedars; they provide instant privacy and the neighbour's pigeon coop disappeared into the green distance. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Misha gained a huge gold star in our relationship book.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-89882853877557374842013-05-12T16:51:00.000-07:002013-05-12T16:54:11.474-07:00Native plants shopping spree in Markham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do you remember our <a href="http://mishaandmia.blogspot.ca/2012/06/our-native-woodland-garden.html" target="_blank">native woodland garden</a> that we started last year in our front yard? Well, we are really excited that almost all the native plants we planted came up this year. (A detailed front yard update coming soon.) There are some areas that need to be filled in, so we decided to go to the <a href="http://www.nanps.org/" target="_blank">North American Native Plant Society's</a> (NANP) annual plant sale to pick up some plants. </div>
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This was our third time attending this event and we knew we had to get there early as the plant selection diminishes by the minute. It was held again in Markham and we managed to get there right on time. </div>
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The event is very well organized with different sections for shrubs, flowers, trees and grasses. The flower section is further divided into dry, sunny, wet and shady sections to easily find what you are looking for.<br />
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There were many people and it felt like we needed to make quick decisions on the plants otherwise our fellow native plant lovers would grab them. There is an option to pre-order plants which worked well for us last year. This time around we decided to take our chances.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_zYYA2lPuXn6mE27BRAvMqfSWhJU9MD0ofnuC3xkQRhT-IXNyh5NhDq6KcYv0WvUyKe_b4TGOF8bTxsrEw_wX6HFzysC5pPzriiFu7_DpeC7t_Q1SXx7KmDeZfp0lAmwU7EuHOHHu58/s1600/native+plant+selection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_zYYA2lPuXn6mE27BRAvMqfSWhJU9MD0ofnuC3xkQRhT-IXNyh5NhDq6KcYv0WvUyKe_b4TGOF8bTxsrEw_wX6HFzysC5pPzriiFu7_DpeC7t_Q1SXx7KmDeZfp0lAmwU7EuHOHHu58/s640/native+plant+selection.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The plants were $6 each and we ended up buying a few Running Strawberry Bushes, Blue Phlox, Large Leaf Asters and Wild Bergamot.</div>
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In addition to the shopping, it was also great to chat with like minded people and get some more tips on what to plant under our Norway Maple. We even got some admiring praises as we described how we went for it and transformed our whole front yard into a native garden.<br />
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This plant sale is a great introduction to native plant gardening. If you want to attend next year I would recommend to prepare a list of plants you want to pick up. There is not much time to look around as plants get picked up fast and the whole event is done by the early afternoon.<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-16446882796750288112013-05-07T14:55:00.000-07:002013-12-06T20:14:43.351-08:00My new obsession - Flower pot gardening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am obsessed with flower pots. I love that you
can create a little colourful garden oasis in them, whether you live
in an apartment or a house. Flower pots for me are the ultimate reminder that summer has arrived.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The most exciting part about creating a flower pot is picking out the flowers; there are so many choices and so many colours. We started our flower hunt at Home Depot where we picked up some classic yellow/blue pansies.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhnDGAZr0n9bNKadR1wxTlXaCpB-g8GZ24_vQtKtrmUZanWAcwK6QOvmd1dQXDmciFs5KMNdarqJUQannqW2Amqpwk3_ihWqXjXR41jg6Jf7f9vZ39TauUA_QFoJNjnaEvpQOMubvjD8/s1600/hd+pensies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhnDGAZr0n9bNKadR1wxTlXaCpB-g8GZ24_vQtKtrmUZanWAcwK6QOvmd1dQXDmciFs5KMNdarqJUQannqW2Amqpwk3_ihWqXjXR41jg6Jf7f9vZ39TauUA_QFoJNjnaEvpQOMubvjD8/s640/hd+pensies.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to add some more textures and greenery so we went to <a href="http://www.sheridannurseries.com/">Sheridan Nurseries</a> for a bigger selection. I
must admit that I got carried away by seeing all the flowers; I
couldn’t hold back.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSQs-pimI6fgqbWJG8W4TVX7T0SV57ipXe1jw4G6pIsypkrfPC56QIorYaaLcP-sik7oQtyEjm0gWQ2EeETJtB8qjLp4jlH2ZG3eN3Kt4cpG9H-SnKLlxHr7qoidu_Qxr-zZoOyZLPhM/s1600/sheridan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSQs-pimI6fgqbWJG8W4TVX7T0SV57ipXe1jw4G6pIsypkrfPC56QIorYaaLcP-sik7oQtyEjm0gWQ2EeETJtB8qjLp4jlH2ZG3eN3Kt4cpG9H-SnKLlxHr7qoidu_Qxr-zZoOyZLPhM/s640/sheridan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheridan Nurseries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We picked up five additional annuals including my favourites, Silverdust and a yellow Poppy. The only rule I kept was to stay within two main colours, yellow and purple/blue. When Misha saw my shopping cart he started to get worried that our pot might be a bit too small for all my selections.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we got home I was eager to get started with the planting, despite of a light drizzle. We placed the pot in it's final location and filled the bottom up with stones for better drainage.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaOdPIjW5iPaBh_CfE5OuvVHUaZGmijiGw6JBnMk9JNBYdPyzU6Uv86OV-3N7b4O5Gzeu_fi5itl9rmW381-QVqKiU9kpkmetIAuS7Z45UY9y4ZBTrXK2yZeQaHKMIK2e1yFc7JeCxMY/s1600/pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaOdPIjW5iPaBh_CfE5OuvVHUaZGmijiGw6JBnMk9JNBYdPyzU6Uv86OV-3N7b4O5Gzeu_fi5itl9rmW381-QVqKiU9kpkmetIAuS7Z45UY9y4ZBTrXK2yZeQaHKMIK2e1yFc7JeCxMY/s640/pot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then came the soil. We used all purpose soil in the bottom and triple mix soil at the top.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxKGiD2UUCHBlwwd_avTL4V6FoUkMCv17GaHC33khGIl4Su_QcXhhbkjCN10KXjljjX1zRtd7I4y9jnf4IbfxKdAtp_Kggu3txSLNYoHqwKsP3aaNHyLt5tQb2MMLx12agkgYUfae_Tk/s1600/_MG_8416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxKGiD2UUCHBlwwd_avTL4V6FoUkMCv17GaHC33khGIl4Su_QcXhhbkjCN10KXjljjX1zRtd7I4y9jnf4IbfxKdAtp_Kggu3txSLNYoHqwKsP3aaNHyLt5tQb2MMLx12agkgYUfae_Tk/s640/_MG_8416.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I played a bit with the flower arrangement...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLN5egip9nmOeyeEW965JJ1syGhRvJWu7JO7nWq3WZ7-jq7zJ5HHp9A3BToecpMnj9IQ3ngcSTpCJ6ZozDLeVudGeGDJm_HK_yZONXc3TttJBpoh8sU74c6_eEz_PoN-5qywyDhbTdg8/s1600/_MG_8423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLN5egip9nmOeyeEW965JJ1syGhRvJWu7JO7nWq3WZ7-jq7zJ5HHp9A3BToecpMnj9IQ3ngcSTpCJ6ZozDLeVudGeGDJm_HK_yZONXc3TttJBpoh8sU74c6_eEz_PoN-5qywyDhbTdg8/s640/_MG_8423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ...and then it was time for planting.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZfu2SsZ4uKm176FlOa42nGsVuS67vpIr204RknwNgjkKpVqF-2KMWnH5OFCqVnxOOajg9xlUQRyN2GDpX82YyVptsFhecFwLL8m1YFxec7dkIzTCZlH3dVz1Pk0Uy6Dl9SkVNp7qUqg/s1600/_MG_8429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZfu2SsZ4uKm176FlOa42nGsVuS67vpIr204RknwNgjkKpVqF-2KMWnH5OFCqVnxOOajg9xlUQRyN2GDpX82YyVptsFhecFwLL8m1YFxec7dkIzTCZlH3dVz1Pk0Uy6Dl9SkVNp7qUqg/s640/_MG_8429.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watered the flowers well...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf54cbPQ6go48OI6bFfhyphenhyphenhOqPsnXUGEEQDFOqIAkWbP_U9nbAv1AUJfqVZXmKWTYSpdbZ5E09o3p1hylZ3zH0pcgYQTvdbjBd1jeb3cEJOEz6Pw9A6zkX5gdoEfikCJvIRCgg9NL4ab8s/s1600/_MG_8437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf54cbPQ6go48OI6bFfhyphenhyphenhOqPsnXUGEEQDFOqIAkWbP_U9nbAv1AUJfqVZXmKWTYSpdbZ5E09o3p1hylZ3zH0pcgYQTvdbjBd1jeb3cEJOEz6Pw9A6zkX5gdoEfikCJvIRCgg9NL4ab8s/s640/_MG_8437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and this is how our flower pot looks one week after planting. Every morning I take a quick look at it from our bathroom window, just to soak up the beautiful colours and check how the flowers are growing.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl3EQ6Qo84kzLd6dGEbn2Utde-9qj0nOOhb46IghuSyEnY0806J_Ti4zV33YK-7HVndYjh1My10PkHMyARHPM8LuiTCA1fE81MHfG3P3-LB_xDvro3IYUXbc2gq3ReACEQ2RA9qETc88/s1600/_MG_8467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl3EQ6Qo84kzLd6dGEbn2Utde-9qj0nOOhb46IghuSyEnY0806J_Ti4zV33YK-7HVndYjh1My10PkHMyARHPM8LuiTCA1fE81MHfG3P3-LB_xDvro3IYUXbc2gq3ReACEQ2RA9qETc88/s640/_MG_8467.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower pot - Snapdragon, Dianthus, Poppy, Silverdust, Shamrock, Ranunculus, Pansy, Marguerite</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was our first adventure into annual flower pot gardening and I love it so much that I am already planning our next flower pot, and a window box, and a smaller pot, ... and ... </span><br />
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Mia</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />P.S. I will post an updated photo of the flower pot in a couple of months. I can't wait for them to grow.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-48906468639744108432013-04-15T15:39:00.000-07:002013-04-15T15:58:12.674-07:00Tips for a low stress renovation experience <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Our bathroom renovation feels so much less stressful than our kitchen <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">reno</st1:city></st1:place> was. We are so much more organized this time. During our kitchen renovation while work was already at full speed we were still frantically looking for a sink, picking out paint colours and tracking down window casings. It made the process very stressful. This time around, we wanted to be more organized. We bought everything we needed for the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">reno</st1:place></st1:city> in advance right down to the door stopper and towel hooks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We also learned to communicate better with our tradesmen. To give you an example, we purchased a tile ready recessed <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Redi-Niche-Shampoo-Soap-Niche-16-in-W-x-20-in-H-x-4-in-D-Standard-Double-Niche-RN1620D-BI/100677312#.UWi4wo6hCFI">shower niche</a> from Home Depot that was installed into the wall opening by our builder. Here it is after the installation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As I wanted to make the niche a feature in our bathroom we picked up 6X6 white tiles to create a design on the niche. I stayed up late the night before the tiling job began and made a simple drawing. Of course, Misha had a different idea so I actually had to make two drawings, one based on my idea and one based on his.<span style="color: navy;"><span style="color: navy;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">We settled on his idea and showed it to Daniel, our tiler. Daniel made some tweaks to the design, added some of his insights and we were all happy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Misha also made a little sketch of our bathroom (to scale) to aid the tradesmen in coordinating their jobs and getting everything where we wanted it. Here he is working hard at it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">We neglected to make this type of a plan for our kitchen <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">reno</st1:place></st1:city> and as a result we ended up having to move one of the electrical boxes after the wall was already closed up. This time, Misha’s bathroom plan was used by all our workers and our builder even hung it up in the bathroom as a reference. It looked like we hired an architect; Misha did a great job!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We have learned a lot just by going through these renovations and definitely the more reno you do the better you get at it. Only a few more days and our bathroom will be done. I can't wait. We already love it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Below are a few tips that might help you with your renovation planning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mia<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Tips for a low stress renovation experience:</span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Communicate your wants clearly; no detail is too small</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> – During our kitchen <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">reno</st1:place></st1:city> we assumed that the tradesmen had the same vision as us and we were disappointed when things didn’t get done the way we wanted. So, never assume and always speak your mind; even if it feels like you are micromanaging.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Review the completed work at the end of each day</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> –We spent about 10 minutes at the end of each day going over the work that got done that day. We kept a piece of paper on our kitchen table where we wrote down daily what needed to be addressed the next day. We caught a couple things that we pointed out right away to our builder and he corrected them easily. If we had waited it would have been a much bigger issue as the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">reno</st1:place></st1:city> progressed.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-61810790689552544592013-04-13T17:46:00.000-07:002013-04-14T14:45:52.869-07:00The Green Living Show and what we liked about it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today I was thinking that our house is a mess and the builder is still working on our bathroom so why not get out of the house and check out <a href="http://www.greenlivingonline.com/torontoshow/">The Green Living Show </a>. I proposed this idea to Misha and as it was a cold and rainy day, he quickly agreed. We had never been to The Green Living Show and we thought we might get some green project ideas, so there we went.</div>
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When we got there we were surprised to see so many people. We could barely get through some of the aisles especially the food ones. We began tracking in Misha's military grid line system, to not miss any booths. We passed by tons of organic food booths giving away free samples.</div>
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We briefly considered purchasing a bamboo vegetable brush, but resisted. I am happy about that.<br />
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We tried out organic mattresses. We will visit <a href="http://www.somasleep.ca/">Soma Organic Mattresses</a> at their retail location as they also sell organic couches that I would consider for our living room.<br />
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Misha couldn't resist discussing the plans of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit with a <a href="http://www.metrolinx.com/en/">Metrolinx</a> employee. He was pressing him on how likely it is that this project will happen.<br />
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We signed an <a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/">Environmental Defence</a> petition for mandatory ingredient labeling...<br />
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...and took a picture with Kevin, from <a href="http://www.eco-building.ca/">Eco Building Resource</a>. He is our go to person when it comes to green renovation advice and products.<br />
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We got briefly tempted by the solar panels. It is a great idea but still very costly.<br />
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We checked out the green areas of the Greater Toronto Area...<br />
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...and loved the steel roofs on display. We will definitely consider them once the time comes to replace our asphalt shingles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqmFNDqLRYKKXpQB7vRUf36K8RDH85D8usI1PRwXNTF1do_h_Q4plY9wC_ioQkT4CzK3Rzw2IuDOTuE-bPS72nnYW6BYdaXCWNYSPdwjbq2obrZ4_9BM9PD6Q6t2w6fFFjIofOjcsVeM/s1600/green+living+show2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqmFNDqLRYKKXpQB7vRUf36K8RDH85D8usI1PRwXNTF1do_h_Q4plY9wC_ioQkT4CzK3Rzw2IuDOTuE-bPS72nnYW6BYdaXCWNYSPdwjbq2obrZ4_9BM9PD6Q6t2w6fFFjIofOjcsVeM/s640/green+living+show2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We couldn't leave without a gardening idea. Misha might give this slug trap product a try.<br />
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And last but not least, I have to mention this buckwheat pillow that Misha was so fascinated by. It is filled with buckwheat husks. I told him that I will make him a buckwheat pillow like this for his birthday. He doesn't believe me.<br />
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It was great to see so many people being interested in green living. Hopefully this event will grow each year. If you are in the Toronto area, check it out, it is still on tomorrow.<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-14666496420244965382013-04-11T15:50:00.004-07:002013-04-11T16:30:17.218-07:00Bathroom reno - There are always surprises when a wall comes downWell, the demo has begun, and as usual the walls concealed some interesting surprises. First of all, the wall was made of a thick heavy cement which made the removal of the tub almost impossible. It had to be cut in two. Our builder was not happy; his charge at the transfer station dumping off the heavy cement was higher than expected.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaWsdrEE0tWT1V1XU_ZY-079snnnE2UCo3UVgU7-hpnXCv-Q0K4GO_wZGmSybyb-lqlixuhtnq3vxijyyaI6fYKh7kF06B3l0fQxE3ChwM7FkHIv2SC2cn2qya6h2yLHx_zT2HmmxrHY/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaWsdrEE0tWT1V1XU_ZY-079snnnE2UCo3UVgU7-hpnXCv-Q0K4GO_wZGmSybyb-lqlixuhtnq3vxijyyaI6fYKh7kF06B3l0fQxE3ChwM7FkHIv2SC2cn2qya6h2yLHx_zT2HmmxrHY/s640/wall.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of our bathroom wall</td></tr>
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Secondly, we did not have 2 x 4 framing on the walls but instead 3/4" x 1 1/4" slats. This meant there was no room for the cotton insulation we had purchased. We chose not to add 2 x 4 framing because of limited space and we would have had to give up the bathtub.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw51gbkfJZldv4dT8r8SaSxFnCaJSA4_CgHnk74tbNJi5NE5y8P_iQAZs0XxhLPTQ9ETkjhrYZNE5vUDKj9Cz6W4dkLCph83OELxwysyQ3KZaUXPFdiYKMX_k3-5N1mbFKNZPaRkaGxd4/s1600/bathroom+-+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw51gbkfJZldv4dT8r8SaSxFnCaJSA4_CgHnk74tbNJi5NE5y8P_iQAZs0XxhLPTQ9ETkjhrYZNE5vUDKj9Cz6W4dkLCph83OELxwysyQ3KZaUXPFdiYKMX_k3-5N1mbFKNZPaRkaGxd4/s640/bathroom+-+wall.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom walls opened up</td></tr>
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We briefly considered using 1/2" foam board, as suggested by our builder. However, when we looked into it we found that it contains many toxic chemicals and if it burns it releases toxic fumes. Reject! We also looked at cork board but we only had a day to source it before the walls were closed up so we did not have time to look for it.<br />
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Once we realized we could only put 1/2" insulation in our walls and the insulating benefit would be minimal, whatever product we used, we decided to use no insulation. Since we did not use any insulation we also chose not to use a vapour barrier. The cement board is mold resistant and dries if it gets wet. There is a school of thought that believes that plastic vapour barriers can cause unwanted condensation. The bonus is that we don't use any plastic.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may seem controversial but having a green home is not just about
saving energy. A completely sealed and insulated home keeps the heat in,
but also keeps off gassing toxins in your home and fresh air out. We made the best decision we could in our circumstance to balance energy saving and air quality. </span><br />
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Misha<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-1238425044428941312013-04-09T16:48:00.001-07:002013-04-09T17:04:48.548-07:00Bathroom reno - It's happening!The demolition of our bathroom has began. Yay! This is always the most exciting part for me; the beginning of the reno. The walls have been removed, the toilet, tub, sink are gone. Our bathroom is transformed into an empty cavity. There is no return at this point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWdk7xgpOo04xddoVeAZ1UJv7_r-YnmM6psyIObVjbOOWV2JE4gCOHKQhdFnbA2_xN3MaqOmQF448aL9iiMFCKUwFzoNtsszrMLX8cTDo8rubUEIlQNfR6Ju_OrSyQOsLGHiXtst7ruo/s1600/bathroom+ren-the+bginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWdk7xgpOo04xddoVeAZ1UJv7_r-YnmM6psyIObVjbOOWV2JE4gCOHKQhdFnbA2_xN3MaqOmQF448aL9iiMFCKUwFzoNtsszrMLX8cTDo8rubUEIlQNfR6Ju_OrSyQOsLGHiXtst7ruo/s640/bathroom+ren-the+bginning.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We will keep you posted about how things are going. So far we found one unexpected surprise; see next post coming soon.<br />
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P. S. I am getting used to (reluctantly), using the basement toilet. I haven't even walked in there since we moved in as it is in a very bad shape. When I say bad I mean REALLY bad. Each time I walk in there I have to tell myself that "it's not that bad, you can do it Mia, just don't look around".<br />
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MiaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-30546994917706431822013-04-07T16:09:00.001-07:002013-04-07T16:09:11.893-07:00Bathroom reno update - How we found a storage alternative<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Storage space is an issue in our small bathroom. While we don’t have many toiletries we still need some storage. Our new bathtub will be 3" larger than our old one so we have to give up on having a vanity and will be getting a pedestal sink. The only viable storage option left is a medicine cabinet. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">While they seem to be a thing of the past, I still find them quite charming. I like the ones with large wood trims and large mirrors. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Getting one of these wood cabinets was my original idea but I quickly realized that it would look too bulky in our small space.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We needed to look for a recessed cabinet to avoid adding bulk to the wall. We found a few options at Home Depot and Lowe’s; they were frameless with a more modern look like this Kohler one.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCqytwNjGLw5N29VldEr7Awx3eR5xefmBoBAgFXIbb6YbdLyLYlkTlJzxN5DOJOGETXiTLyemNP-J7J4XgUVj453KaNTRmN4x0_JDUB8G3PMDTjUS1FWngOdY2BAIyN83OHutT4w80AM/s1600/medicine+cabinet-kohler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCqytwNjGLw5N29VldEr7Awx3eR5xefmBoBAgFXIbb6YbdLyLYlkTlJzxN5DOJOGETXiTLyemNP-J7J4XgUVj453KaNTRmN4x0_JDUB8G3PMDTjUS1FWngOdY2BAIyN83OHutT4w80AM/s320/medicine+cabinet-kohler.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After sitting with the idea for a while, I started liking the thought of pairing up the modern frameless mirror with the more traditional subway tiles. I also thought two medicine cabinets would work better than one, as they would balance out our small space and would provide double storage. I know it’s unusual to have two, but I can see them working out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To make sure the size and look of the cabinets would work well in our bathroom I did a small experiment; I used painter’s tape to create the exact sized mirrors that are on the medicine cabinets we picked out. It was easy to do as I only needed to tape over our existing mirror.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGgCbPaU7BBNK2k3v02eLQ6GoOexR_cKnY-Lp-gGBolsZFadJvFxZeimJcp27RCNLd7Ssf03pFg37UkkBad9oM61zSaajVyxINkdDkAtRZhid9ucIhnvctrBq-GudqG_P5NzrlKA7hTU/s1600/mirror+exp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGgCbPaU7BBNK2k3v02eLQ6GoOexR_cKnY-Lp-gGBolsZFadJvFxZeimJcp27RCNLd7Ssf03pFg37UkkBad9oM61zSaajVyxINkdDkAtRZhid9ucIhnvctrBq-GudqG_P5NzrlKA7hTU/s640/mirror+exp.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It worked well and we got a good idea of how they would look. Misha also bought into it and we are ready to move on to the last stage of our planning process; booking the contractors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mia</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-62429133145088764032013-04-02T17:11:00.002-07:002013-04-02T17:11:53.894-07:00It's time for indoor seed planting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whether you have a big backyard vegetable garden or a few planters on your balcony, this is the right time to start your seeds indoors. It is not complicated and you can save a lot of money by starting your favourite plants from seeds. </div>
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I took advantage of today's cold weather and set up my seed planting operation in our basement. I gathered the seed starting containers I had bought; some were made of cardboard and some were made of coconut shells. It still baffles me why natural biodegradable coconut seed trays would come wrapped in plastic. We only bought a couple packs to try for that reason. The cardboard ones did not come in plastic so we bought more of those. </div>
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I used a tray to put them on to contain the mess.</div>
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I dumped the seed starter mix in a bucket and added water as recommended to moisten the soil before putting it into the seed trays. This ensures the seed mix is moistened all the way through. If you put it into the seed trays dry, it is hard to get the peat moss to absorb water. Pouring the water in first and stirring it really made planting and watering easier.</div>
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I poured the soil into the containers then smoothed it out making sure each container was filled.</div>
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I pressed the seeds in to the recommended depth on the back of the seed package. I put 2 to 5 seeds per container, depending on the type of seed, in case one or more of the seeds does not germinate. If more than one germinate I will thin them or split them and transplant them into separate containers. </div>
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I used popstickle sticks to write the names of the seeds on and mark their location. </div>
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I gave them a last spray of water...<br />
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..and found a sunny window for them. For germination they need lots of warmth. Once they sprout they will also need the maximum amount of light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp7pjcfRbh2fnHN26ovG1oNcdSZPH4OviUdu8T1w2SeKscZSJqWMXSJYtZ3v6pzAo1ZidDAZrvl6HepDUacbsLkQYJoKFwf36ExySm70gV4UScwBXi7RJPkzYBvBy3KevxAvvUesvg5s/s1600/seedlings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp7pjcfRbh2fnHN26ovG1oNcdSZPH4OviUdu8T1w2SeKscZSJqWMXSJYtZ3v6pzAo1ZidDAZrvl6HepDUacbsLkQYJoKFwf36ExySm70gV4UScwBXi7RJPkzYBvBy3KevxAvvUesvg5s/s640/seedlings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I will keep a close eye on them and keep them moist. These seedlings will be ready to be planted outside in about a month, around the last frost day. Today I planted cabbage, squash, sunflowers, tomatoes, herbs and flowers. I will give you an update on how well they do once we move them to the mud room to harden them off. If you have kids get them involved. They love helping and there is a lot they can do with this simple project.<br />
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<i>Misha</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199845064368557561.post-56609724574016218842013-03-31T17:07:00.002-07:002013-03-31T21:17:52.233-07:00Start your EARLY veggie garden now!This is the perfect time to get your early vegetable garden going. While the last frost day of May 9th (Toronto) is still more than a month away there are some vegetables that tolerate cold better and can be planted now.<br />
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We spent the whole day in the garden today. It was great to get my hands dirty again and smell the rich aroma of the freshly tilled earth. The weather was great. It was mild, overcast and rain was forecast for later in the day; exactly what newly planted veggies love.<br />
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Misha started out preparing the soil in our back garden....<br />
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...and I took charge of our kitchen garden which is conveniently located near our back door. It's great for a quick veggie run while cooking. Cinnamon, as usual, was keeping an eye on us. It was the kittens first day outside and they absolutely loved it.<br />
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Once the earth got tilled Misha put down some wood planks to walk on. He loves doing that. It's supposed to help avoid getting the earth compacted as you are seeding.<br />
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We planted onions in a row. They are fun to plant as they are large and easy to see where you plant.<br />
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We also planted them in a square foot planting style. Misha suggested trying this type of planting as well this year. It is more dense planting and great for small garden where every inch of growing space matters.</div>
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We continued planting lettuce, collard greens, beets (Misha's favourite), kale (my absolute favourite), peas and more; I have included the complete list at the end. It was so much fun to be out in the garden again.</div>
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I can't wait for some more veggie planting in the next couple of months. Drop us a line and let us know how your veggie garden planning is coming along. Are you thinking of growing your own vegetables this year?</div>
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Mia<br />
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<i>For those interested in more planting details I am posting a 'how to' below.</i><br />
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How to start an EARLY VEGGIE GARDEN:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Today we planted: dinosaur kale, red russian kale, lettuce, radish, beets, yellow, white and red onions, parsnips, collard greens, snow peas and snap peas. These vegetables tend to tolerate cold better and are suitable for planting as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring (and well before the last frost day). We will plant more of these every two weeks to extend the harvest of each variety.</li>
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<li>Check the back of the seed packages for planting instructions. They are easy to follow.</li>
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<li>You can plant in a single row or with the square foot planting method. We are trying our version of the square foot planting this year for some of the crops and see how it works out. Basically, you divide your garden into one foot squares and plant densely. We will let you know how we like this method.</li>
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<li>Add black top soil if needed. We added quite a lot last year and feel the earth in our garden is still rich enough, so we are not going to add anymore for now.</li>
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<li>Make sure to water well after you plant the seeds. Planting right before rain is a bonus.</li>
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<li>Keep an eye out for your growing veggies and thin as needed. We will provide a veggie progress update and let you know how and when they are to be thinned.</li>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10584691210196085653noreply@blogger.com0